Sacha & sustainability

Sustainability summary

Based on our sustainability criteria, Sacha has achieved the E-label. This is our lowest possible sustainability score, and Sacha has earned it by communicating hardly any concrete about the policies for environment, carbon emissions or labor conditions in low-wages countries. For us it remains unclear whether shoes from Sacha are recommendable or not.

8. Does the brand (company) have a clear and effective policy to minimize environmental pollution of chromium and other harmful substances from leather tanning processes, e.g. by waste water treatment or by vegetable tanning?

Sacha does not openly communicate a policy to limit chromium and other harmful substances pollution caused by leather tanning processes.

13. Has the brand (company) a clear and effective policy to minimize the use of solvents based chemicals in their shoe production, and has the brand already achieved a level of average max. 40 grams of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions per pair of shoes?

Sacha does not openly communicate a policy to reduce solvent based chemicals in their shoe production.

14. Does the brand (company) have clear objectives to minimize the environmental impact of its shipping packaging and carrier bags, by reducing, re-using, recycling and responsible sourcing of packaging materials, and does the brand annually report on these results?

Sacha reports that its consumer bags are made of 80% recycled materials. But, Sacha does not report on the annual results of its consumer packaging policy.

15. Does the brand (company) have clear objectives to minimize waste, by reducing, re-using and recycling, and does the brand annually report the results?

Sacha implements several measures to minimize waste, such as recycling waste generated at its stores. Furthermore, on a year basis up to 150 tonnes of paper are recycled. However, Sacha does not report on comprehensive annual results of its waste reduction policy.

Questions about Labour Conditions/ Fair Trade

3 out of 14

1. Does the brand (company) have a supplier Code of Conduct (CoC) which includes the following standards: No forced or slave labor, no child labor, no discrimination of any kind and a safe and hygienic workplace?

Sacha is an active member of Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI). All standards are mentioned in the BSCI Code of Conduct for suppliers.

2. Does this CoC include at least two of the following workers rights: 1. to have a formally registered employment relationship 2. to have a maximum working week of 48 hours with voluntary and paid overtime of 12 hours maximum 3. to have a sufficient living wage?

In BSCI COC: 1. Yes, legally-binding employment relationships; 2. No, maximum workweek of 48 hours, but hours of overtime is not specified; 3. No, suppliers are encouraged but have no obligation to pay adequate compensation when minimum wages are not sufficient (see link, pages 4-8).

3. Does this Code of Conduct include the right for workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; and in those situations where these rights are restricted under law, the right to facilitate parallel means of independent and free association and bargaining?

In BSCI CoC: This right is mentioned, with reference to parallel means for the situation of law restrictions (see link, page 4).

6. Is the brand (company) a member of a collective initiative that aims to improve labor conditions, or does the brand (company) purchase its supplies from accredited factories with improved labor conditions?

13. Does the brand (company) annually report on the results of its labor conditions policy for the leather, yarn and fabric production phases, including a reasonable overview of the number and region of workplaces covered by the policy in relation to the total production volume?

Sacha does not report on results of its labour conditions policy for the fabric manufacturing phases.